Detachable type unit rubber stamps



United States Patent 2,962,964 DETACHABLE TYPE UNIT RUBBER STAMPSWhitney K. Mu..s...,P.0. Box 312, Red Bank, NJ. il d on. 4, 1957, Ser.No. 688,194 12 Claims. Cl. 101-380) This invention relates to rubberstamps employing frames, in which assembled type units are detachablymounted to adapt the stamp for extensive use in the construction ofvaried arrangements of imprints on the stamp. More particularly, theinvention deals with a device of the character described, wherein theunits are yieldably supported in the frame and the several rubber typeblocks or members are yieldably supported in chan nels constituting partof the unit assemblage.

Still more particularly, the invention deals with a stamp device of thecharacter described, wherein each unit of the stamp includes a typeretaining and holddown rod protruding at ends of the units and the framehaving means yieldably engaging the rods in detachably coupling theunits with the frame or body of the stamp.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from thefollowing description, when taken together with the accompanyingdrawing, in which the separate parts are designated by suitablereference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side and sectional view of a stamp, indicating part of thestructure in open position in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing only part of the constructionon an enlarged scale and in an inverted position.

In the drawing, 50 represents a body or frame of channel cross-sectionalform, the channel being indicated at 51 and being defined by protrudingside walls 52 and 53. In the construction shown, the frame is formedfrom plastic material and the side wall 52 has, on its outer surfaceadjacent the end thereof, a longitudinal groove 54 and the crosshead ofthe frame, at the upper end of the wall 52, has another longitudinalgroove 55. The grooves 54 and 55 are adapted to detachably support asheet metal nameplate frame 56, the hook end 57 of which is' adapted tosnap into the groove 55 in retaining the frame in position.

The frame has an'elongated opening 58, rearwardly of which is supporteda transparent panel 59, preferably of plastic material, the latter beingemployed to protect and support a monogrammed sheet 60 of thincardboard, heavy paper or the like, upon which will be applied therepresentation of the type imprint which can be formed by theconstructed hand stamp.

Centrally of the crosshead of the frame 50 is an aperture 61 forreceiving a pin end 62 of a protruding hand- I grip 63, only part of.which is shown.

Mounted in the ends of thechannel 51 are substantially L-shapedyieldable coupling devices 64 for detachably mounting type units 65 inthe frame, as later described.

The devices 64 are defined by plate'portions 66 secured to the frame bydrive screws or other devices, diagrammatically seen at 67, and springarms 68 joining the plate portions 66 in a spring loop 69 and plateparts 70 spaced from the arms 68, as seen at 71, and bearing 2,952,964Patented Dec. 6, I960 upon ends of the frame 50, as clearly noted at theleft of Fig. 1.

The spring arms have inwardly and upwardly bent hook catch devices 72at'their free ends, which are adapted to engage type hold-down rods 73of the units 65, as later described:

Cemented or otherwise secured in the channel is a rubber backing 74which extends the full length of the channel. This backing has, securedto its exposed surface, a thin sheet of smooth and glossy material,such, for example, as a plastic sheet 75 to provide free action of theunits 65 in their movement in the frame.

Each unit 65 is generally of the same construction, thus the descriptionof one unit will apply to all. One of these units is shown in enlargeddetached detail in Fig. 3 of the drawing and the unit comprises achannelled holder 76, which can be composed of any suitable rigid sheetmaterial, sheet metal preferably being used, and this channel has itsside walls cutout,,or notches at the ends, as seen at 77 in Fig. 1 ofthe drawing so that the crosshead of the channel 76 terminates incontracted portions 7 which extend to a position in close proximity tothe spring arms 68 when in their operative posiLon, as shown in fulllines in Fig. 1.

At 79 is shown one of a number of rubber or other yieldable type memberswhich are generally of the same construction, with the exception of themodification of the characterizations 80 on the exposed printingsurfaces thereof. Each member 70 has a transverse aperture or bore 81therein which, in the construction shown, is circular in cross-sectionalform. These apertures are adapted to receive the rods 73 which arehalf-round in cross-sectional form, so as to bear downwardly upon theinner portions 79' of the members 79 in securely retaining the same inthe bottom of the channel 76 and to tensionally urge the members 79downwardly, as and when the rods 73 are coupled with the hook ends 72 ofthe arms 68.

It will also be clearly noted in Fig. 3 of the drawing that one side ofthe members 79 at the inner portions thereof with respect to thechannels 76 are bevelled, as seen at 82, the purpose of this being tofacilitate assemblage of the members 79 in the channels 76 and also topermit displacement of the portions 79' as and when downward pressure isapplied by the rods 73 in securely retaining the same in position in thechannel 76 and also when the stampis used by pressure engagement of allof the members with a surface being printed. In this latter operation,each of the units 65 are yieldably supported by the yieldable backing74, which results in providing a substantially perfect imprint of all ofthe characters of the several units.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing, the stamp has been illustrated as of a size tosupport, within the frame 50, three of the units 65. It will beunderstood, however, that any number of units can be supported in theframe, the frame being constructed to suit the number of units employed.

In the use of the units 65 in the construction of an initial stamp and/or in changing the units for production of a new type characterizationin the stamp, the type members 79 are first placed in the holders 76. Inthis connection, the bevelled surfaces 82 are always arranged on oneside of the members 79 and serve to indicate the positioning of themembers one with respect to the other in setting up a particular word,name, symbol or the like properly in the stamp. To aid in thisoperation, the bevelled surfaces 82 can all be in a color contrasting tothe body portion of the members 79 to clearly indicate the common sideof these members to the operator.

After the selected members 79 have been arranged in the holder 76 andproperly spaced therein with respect to ends of the holder 76, then arod 73 is passed through the alined apertures 81 of the members 79 withthe rod ends having the bevelled surfaces 83, note Fig. 1, equallypositioned in the notched ends 77 of the holder 76, as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

In positioning the rods 73 in the apertures 81, they are arranged asshown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3 of-the drawing. Then the assembled unitis mounted in the frame by simply passing one end of the holder and oneend of the rod beneath one of the hooks 72. Then the other end of theholder and rod can be snapped downwardly over the other hook 72 to flexthe arm 68 outwardly, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of thedrawing; whereupon, the outwardly flexed arm 68 moves inwardly andengages the outer flat surface 73 of the rod 73, the rod being depressedin. this operation so that, when the parts are fully assembled, the typemembers 79 and, in fact, the unit 65 as a whole, will be tensionallysupported in the frame 50. In other words, the members 79 and thebacking 74 operate to urge the rods 73 outwardly against the hooks 72.

By providing the spaces 71 in the coupling devices 64, a suitable thintool can be inserted in these spaces above the units 65 to flex anarm 68outwardly and to apply outward pressure on the holder 76 of the unitassemblies in detaching the same from the frame 50.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hand stamp comprising an elongated body having downwardlyprojecting slide walls forming on the lower surface of said body anelongated channel opening through opposed ends of said body, yieldablecoupling devices mounted upon the undersurface of the channel at endportions of said body, said devices having spring arms spaced from endsof said body and terminating in hook ends, a yieldable backing arrangedupon the inner surface of the channel of said body, atypeunit comprisinga channelled holder defined by parallel side walls joined by acrosshead, a plurality of alined type members having registeringapertures therein, said type members being spaced longitudinally in thechannel of said holder, hold-down rods arranged in the alined aperturesof said type members and protruding in said channelled holder beyond endtype members arranged in said holder, inner sides of the type membersseating snugly on side walls of said holder, and the hook ends of saidspring arms operatively engaging the ends of said rods in securely andyieldably retaining the type members in the channelled holder and saidholder upon the yieldable backing of said channelled body.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the channelled body isapertured centrally to receive and support a protruding handle member.

3. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said coupling devicesinclude plate portions extending inwardly onto and secured to the bottomwall of the channel of said body, and plate parts seating upon ends ofsaid channelled body.

4, A structure as defined in claim 3, wherein the spring arms are spacedfrom said plate parts to form a chamber for reception of a tool indetachment of the type units from the channel of said body.

5. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the apertures of said typemembers are larger in area than the cross-sectional contour of the rodarranged therein.

6. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the ends of the channelledholder of said unit are cutaway to clear the hook ends of said springarms in detachment of the unit from the channelled body.

7. A structure as defined in claim 6, wherein ends of the rod arebevelled to facilitate outward flexing of a spring arm of one couplingdevice in snapping the type unit into position in said channelled body.

8. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein one common side surface ofall of the type members adjacent the inner end thereof is bevelledinwardly to facilitate snug mounting of the type members in thechannelled holder.

9. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein a plastic facing; sheet isdisposed between the outer surface of the yieldable backing and theinner surface of the channelled holder.

10. A structure as defined in claim 1,; wherein one side portion of thechannelled body has spaced grooves, a nameplate frame having africtional mounting in the spaced grooves of said body, said frameextending substantially the full length of the body, and said frameretaining a nameplate and a transparency frictionally upon said sidesurface of the body.

11. In hand stamps of the character described employing an elongatedbody having a handgrip portion, said body having downwardly projectingside walls forming on the lower surface of said body an elongatedchannel opening through opposed. ends of said body, a plurality of typeunits for mounting in the channel of said body, each unit comprising achannelled holder defined by parallel side walls joined by a crosshead,alined type members having registering apertures therein arranged in thechannels of said holders, inner sides of the type members seating snuglyon the side walls of said holders, the axis of the apertures of saidtype members extending longitudinally of the channels of said holders, aholddown rod arranged in the aperture of the type members in each holderand protruding at ends of the holder, yieldable coupling devices mountedin end portions of said channel of said body, said devices having springarms spaced from ends of said body and operatively engaging the rods ofeach unit in support of the units in the channel of said body, andyieldable means disposed between inner surfaces of the units and thebase of the channel of said body for yieldable support of the units inthe channel of said body.

12. A structure as defined in claim 11, wherein the cross-sectionalcontour of the rods is less than the cross sectional contour of theapertures in said type members, and one common side surface of all ofthe type members adjacent inner ends thereof being bevelled inwardly tofacilitate mounting of the type members in the channels of said holdersand proper relationship of the members one with respect to the other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS232,912 Truax Oct. 5, 1880 446,929 Rockey Feb. 24, 1891 485,472 MoseleyNov. 1, 1892 508,292 Dysert Nov. 7, 1893 613,721 Rentschler Nov. 8, 1898768,981 Duncan Aug. 30, 1904 796,131 Loycock Aug. 1, 1905 796,132Loycock Aug. 1, 1905 803,195 Schmidt Oct. 31, 1905 880,225 Lamb et al.Feb. 25, 1908 893,977 Brown July 21, 1908 1,437,711 Bing Dec. 5, 19221,549,588 Mason Aug. 11, 1925 1,879,387 Melind Sept. 27, 1932 2,030,044Beghetti Feb. 11, 1936 2,190,740 Swift et al. Feb. 20, 1940 2,844,097Munson July 22, 1958 2,877,707 Munson Mar. 17, 1959

